Four Ravens predictions sure to go wrong vs. the Colts

Caption1. What will the tenor of this playoff game be like?

Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

This game might require a few tissues and handkerchiefs. Emotional to the core, this opening-round playoff game shapes up as a tearjerker. There's the presence of Indianapolis Colts coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, who has bravely battled leukemia to return to the sideline after three bouts with chemotherapy. And the atmosphere of this game will be dominated by bidding farewell to inside linebacker Ray Lewis, the Johnny Unitas of this generation of football fans in Baltimore, as he plans to retire after this season. While the Ravens could obviously advance past the wild-card round, this will be Lewis' final home game at M&T Bank Stadium. Between Pagano and Lewis, both teams will be charged up, and the intensity should be amazing to watch. Hard hits, big plays and a noisy crowd figure to define this matchup, which also features Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell facing the team he once coached to a Super Bowl appearance before being fired last year by Colts owner Jim Irsay. Once the well-wishes and hugs and reminiscing is over before kickoff, a hard-nosed football game is set to unfold. "It's like playing against friends," Ravens free safety Ed Reed said. "I know once the ball snaps and the whistle blows, in between those lines is different. There's a lot of love out there between this organization. Even with Jim Caldwell being over here, it's just a lot of emotions in this game." How do Reed and others separate the emotions from their responsibilities on the field? "They're already separated," he said. "We're Baltimore, and they're the Colts. They have the same mentality as us. I know Chuck. He wants to win this game, and I'm sure he's telling that to his team, and I know [Colts wide receiver] Reggie [Wayne], he is the ultimate competitor. It's already separated. We all talk before the game. Me and Reggie will get dinner tomorrow. So, the family part of it is there. "We all know this is football, and this is a business. One has to win and one has to lose. Neither one of us want to be on that losing side. But, it's already a win-win for all people, all of us who are playing in this. Because of what Chuck has been through, we know life is much more than what we're doing, but at the same time, it's our job, and we enjoy it."

This game might require a few tissues and handkerchiefs. Emotional to the core, this opening-round playoff game shapes up as a tearjerker. There's the presence of Indianapolis Colts coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, who has bravely battled leukemia to return to the sideline after three bouts with chemotherapy. And the atmosphere of this game will be dominated by bidding farewell to inside linebacker Ray Lewis, the Johnny Unitas of this generation of football fans in Baltimore, as he plans to retire after this season. While the Ravens could obviously advance past the wild-card round, this will be Lewis' final home game at M&T Bank Stadium. Between Pagano and Lewis, both teams will be charged up, and the intensity should be amazing to watch. Hard hits, big plays and a noisy crowd figure to define this matchup, which also features Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell facing the team he once coached to a Super Bowl appearance before being fired last year by Colts owner Jim Irsay. Once the well-wishes and hugs and reminiscing is over before kickoff, a hard-nosed football game is set to unfold. "It's like playing against friends," Ravens free safety Ed Reed said. "I know once the ball snaps and the whistle blows, in between those lines is different. There's a lot of love out there between this organization. Even with Jim Caldwell being over here, it's just a lot of emotions in this game." How do Reed and others separate the emotions from their responsibilities on the field? "They're already separated," he said. "We're Baltimore, and they're the Colts. They have the same mentality as us. I know Chuck. He wants to win this game, and I'm sure he's telling that to his team, and I know [Colts wide receiver] Reggie [Wayne], he is the ultimate competitor. It's already separated. We all talk before the game. Me and Reggie will get dinner tomorrow. So, the family part of it is there. "We all know this is football, and this is a business. One has to win and one has to lose. Neither one of us want to be on that losing side. But, it's already a win-win for all people, all of us who are playing in this. Because of what Chuck has been through, we know life is much more than what we're doing, but at the same time, it's our job, and we enjoy it." (Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images)

Before Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis tore his right triceps against the Dallas Cowboys, he wasn't having a sterling season based on his own high standard. He had 57 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery with one pass deflection. While Lewis' instincts were strong as ever, he was having trouble escaping from blocks, was suffering a bit due to nose guards Terrence Cody and Ma'ake Kemoeatu's struggles and his range and tackling had clearly declined. So now the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is making his return after surgery and missing the past 10 games. Ravens coach John Harbaugh says Lewis will be full-speed, but is that realistic considering the rust accumulated during over two months of no football? We're going to find out. This was nearly a season-ending injury, and Lewis has made a valiant recovery, which is a credit to his dedication to the game and his teammates. He insists he'll be ready even though there are obvious signs of atrophy with the right arm not being as big as his left arm. "I just think where I have it now, 100 percent," Lewis said. "I can't tell you there is no weakness in it. I can't tell you if I go out there, I might do this, I might do that. I don't think I would put myself, as well as my teammates, in that position. Have I played hurt before? Absolutely. With this injury, because of what I do so much, I don't think I would take that chance. ... I feel good. I feel healthy. I feel great, actually." Lewis said he didn't experience any setbacks in his rigorous rehabilitation, never experiencing concerns that he wouldn't progress to this point. "Actually, it was the opposite," Lewis said. "Most of the doctors I was dealing with were trying to get me to calm down, because I wanted to push it a little more. And I just went fast. I went real fast. Pain was really the last thing that was on my mind. I never really thought about pain a lot. I just thought about really just getting through it, the next day, the next day, the next day, and kept stacking days on top of each other. "So, I started feeling good real quick, and that's when I started getting really excited. Because after [surgery], I think, I was riding my bike in 10 days. I had banded it up, but it didn't hurt me. I didn't feel any tweaks or nothing like that. I had a very speedy recovery."

Before Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis tore his right triceps against the Dallas Cowboys, he wasn't having a sterling season based on his own high standard. He had 57 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery with one pass deflection. While Lewis' instincts were strong as ever, he was having trouble escaping from blocks, was suffering a bit due to nose guards Terrence Cody and Ma'ake Kemoeatu's struggles and his range and tackling had clearly declined. So now the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is making his return after surgery and missing the past 10 games. Ravens coach John Harbaugh says Lewis will be full-speed, but is that realistic considering the rust accumulated during over two months of no football? We're going to find out. This was nearly a season-ending injury, and Lewis has made a valiant recovery, which is a credit to his dedication to the game and his teammates. He insists he'll be ready even though there are obvious signs of atrophy with the right arm not being as big as his left arm. "I just think where I have it now, 100 percent," Lewis said. "I can't tell you there is no weakness in it. I can't tell you if I go out there, I might do this, I might do that. I don't think I would put myself, as well as my teammates, in that position. Have I played hurt before? Absolutely. With this injury, because of what I do so much, I don't think I would take that chance. ... I feel good. I feel healthy. I feel great, actually." Lewis said he didn't experience any setbacks in his rigorous rehabilitation, never experiencing concerns that he wouldn't progress to this point. "Actually, it was the opposite," Lewis said. "Most of the doctors I was dealing with were trying to get me to calm down, because I wanted to push it a little more. And I just went fast. I went real fast. Pain was really the last thing that was on my mind. I never really thought about pain a lot. I just thought about really just getting through it, the next day, the next day, the next day, and kept stacking days on top of each other. "So, I started feeling good real quick, and that's when I started getting really excited. Because after [surgery], I think, I was riding my bike in 10 days. I had banded it up, but it didn't hurt me. I didn't feel any tweaks or nothing like that. I had a very speedy recovery." (Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)

In this game-day staple, blogger Matt Vensel makes four sometimes-courageous predictions for the game. All he asks is that you don’t hold it against him whenever those predictions end up being embarrassingly wrong.

For the fifth straight year, the Ravens are back in the playoffs. I’m sure in a private moment, one with truth serum or a few adult beverages involved, some players would admit that this year’s team isn’t as good as the one that came up just short in last year’s AFC title game. But the key players are back -- including linebacker Ray Lewis, who is returning from a torn triceps -- and anything can happen once you make this tournament.

The first obstacle in the way to New Orleans is a remarkable Indianapolis Colts team that has actually won one more game this season (11) than the Ravens. Led by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and inspired by head coach Chuck Pagano, the former Ravens defensive coordinator who left his team during the season to get treatment for leukemia, the Colts improbably made the playoffs after being the NFL’s worst team in 2011.

The Colts have won nine of their past 11 games, with many of those victories coming via clutch comebacks, but they struggle to run the ball and their defense is vulnerable against both the run and the pass. Given how the offense has performed at home, Joe Flacco and the Ravens should be able to pull away from the young Colts, especially with all those lubed-up fans at M&T Bank Stadium on their side. I picked the Ravens to win in a shootout, and I also humbly submit to you the following four predictions. We’ll see if any come true.

1. RAY LEWIS WILL MAKE AT LEAST SEVEN TACKLES

Unless he pulls a Favre, Sunday will be the last time that Lewis dances his way out of the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium. (I officially nominate Joe Flacco to assume those responsibilities next season.) Lewis announced Wednesday that he would retire after the season, and while the timing was a little surprising, the fact that he is walking away is not. Lewis is 37, and while he is relatively healthy heading into the rest of his life, he was no longer playing at a high level. Kudos to him for realizing that and not hanging on for too long. He will be fired up for this one -- the whole stadium will be -- and I see him playing at least half the snaps and padding his stats.

2. ED REED TAKES AN INTERCEPTION TO THE HOUSE

The Ravens haven’t been picking off passes like they were earlier in the season, but they may get opportunities to buck that trend against rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Luck has lived up to the hype this season, leading a team that won two wins last year to the playoffs. But while Luck has thrown 23 touchdown passes and rushed for five more, he has tossed 18 interceptions and had seven other would-be interceptions dropped by defenders, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Who knows what the future holds for safety Ed Reed? But in the very near future -- I mean Sunday -- I’m guessing it holds a pick-six.

3. JOE FLACCO WILL THROW THREE TOUCHDOWNS

The last time we saw Joe in a game that actually mattered, he threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns against the New York Giants and also rushed for a score. It looked like he got a little confidence back, but more important, it looked like offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell started to get his offense in a groove. I suspect the Ravens will be balanced against a Colts defense that has allowed 5.83 yards per carry since Week 12. But when it comes to getting the ball across the goal line, look for the Ravens to do it through the air. I see Flacco throwing three touchdowns, and I wouldn’t be surprised if tight end Dennis Pitta caught a couple of them.

4. JACOBY JONES LOSES A FUMBLE ON A RETURN

The last time Jacoby Jones played a playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium, it was as a member of the Houston Texans. He muffed a punt that was recovered by the Ravens, setting up a touchdown that helped the Ravens win. The Ravens were wise to sign Jones when the Texans cut him, as he has scored three return touchdowns while also serving as a solid third receiver. Jones has not coughed the ball up this season, though there have been a few bobbled balls and anxious moments with Jones back to return punts. In a playoff game, I could see nerves getting the better of Jones when he is trying to make a big play. Will it cost the Ravens this time?

For the second time in three years, Michael Oher has started all 16 regular-season games at left tackle. The organization's top pick in the 2009 NFL draft, Oher has yet to miss a start in his NFL career, stringing together a remarkable run of avoiding serious injury. The 26-year-old also leads...